Although articles to be worn in contact with human body, such as diapers for babies or sanitary napkins or panty liners for women have improved a lot the last years with respect to various features like protection and comfort in use, there is still a consumer need for further improvement namely making more pleasant the experience of wearing such articles, especially upon prolonged wearing periods.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide articles to be worn in contact to mammal body, preferably human body, which makes the wearing experience more pleasant. It has now been found that improved pleasantness to the wearing experience can be achieved by providing noticeable freshness sensation, especially long lasting freshness sensation.
It is thus a particular object of the present invention to provide articles suitable to be worn in contact with human body that deliver improved comfort, especially freshness sensation and even long lasting freshness sensation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide articles suitable to be worn in contact with human body, which deliver freshness sensation without wet feeling.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide articles suitable to be worn in contact with skin and/or mucosal surface, which deliver freshness sensation while being safe to the skin and/or mucosal surface contacted.
It has now been found that these objects are achieved by providing an article, suitable to be worn in contact with mammal body, which article comprises a mint odor-free cooling agent to convey freshness sensation to the wearer of the article, without the need of modifying body surface temperature.
Mint-odor free cooling agents for use herein are typically selected from the group consisting of ketals, carboxamides, cyclohexanol derivatives, cyclohexyl derivatives described herein after with the exception of menthol and mixtures thereof. Highly preferred cooling agent for use herein is menthyl lactate. All these cooling agents beside their long lasting cooling properties have the advantage of being less irritating to skin than menthol, substantially free of mint-type odor and physically stable at room temperature. Indeed they do not sublimate at use and room temperature in contrast to menthol, thereby resulting in improved stability during storage of the article, maintaining the whole activity potential up to time it is needed, i.e., up to the time they are worn and during that time.
The use of cooling agents in articles to be worn in contact to human body, especially hygienic disposable articles (like sanitary napkin, panty liners, tampons, interlabial pads and/or diapers), delivers a freshness sensation without modifying skin and/or mucosal surface (e.g. vaginal area) temperature, this even upon prolonged periods of wearing time, thereby making the wearing experience of such articles more pleasant. Advantageously, these freshness properties are delivered without that any wet feeling is perceived on the contact of the article with skin and/or mucosal surface, resulting thereby in outstanding cleanness sensation. Furthermore, the perception of freshness and dryness sensation by the wearer of the article is believed to reduce the tendency of the wearer to perspire.
A further advantage is that the articles according of the present invention deliver all these benefits while being safe to the wearer. Indeed, the cooling agents described herein have a safe profile towards skin and mucosal surfaces. Yet another advantage is that all these benefits are delivered without strong mint-odor typically associated to the use of menthol and peppermint oil, which are not contemplated herein.
The cooling agents used in articles to be worn in contact with mammal body of the present invention, have the ability to cause a subjective sensation of freshness, without needing skin and/or mucosal surface temperature change. This sensation of freshness also called herein coolness/cooling sensation is attributed to the stimulation of thermo-receptors of mammal body. Indeed, it is believed that the cooling agents act as a direct stimulus on the cold receptors at the sensory nerve endings, which in turn stimulate the central nervous system. It is further noticeable that due to the persistence of the stimuli a long lasting freshness sensation is delivered, this even after stopping direct contact between the skin and/or mucosal surface and the article, more precisely the cooling agent.
The cooling agent may be present neat (powder, flakes, particles, wax, liquid and the like) or may be in a carrier vehicle as a solution, suspension, dispersion, emulsion and the like. Moreover the cooling agent may be releasably contained by a microcapsule, an absorbent material, a cell, an adhesive, an emollient-containing composition, a solid support, a nanophase particulate structure and the like. Indeed, in a preferred embodiment herein the article according to the present invention comprises a delivery system for releasably containing and delivering the cooling agent to at least a portion of the skin and/or mucosal surface of the wearer of the article. The delivery system may be of any configuration including, but not limited to, one that contains the cooling agent in powder, particle or flake form, or in a solution, a dispersion, a suspension, an emulsion or the like. The delivery system may comprise a structure such as a microcapsule, an absorbent material, a nanophase particulate structure, a cell, an adhesive, a solid support, or the like or a composition such as an emollient-containing composition. Preferably the delivery system is an emollient-containing composition. In one aspect of the invention the emollient-containing composition consists essentially of the emollient and the cooling agent without any additional compound. Preferably the delivery system positions the cooling agent in proximity to the skin during wear of the article and, more preferably, onto at least a portion of the skin and/or mucosal surface of the wearer of the article.
Advantageously, the presence of the emollient-containing composition delivers an optimized freshness sensation upon prolonged wearing time of the article while maintaining or even improving skin health. The presence of a delivery system, preferably emollient-containing composition, is desirable has it provides for faster freshness sensation/perception to the wearer of the article as well as sustained freshness sensation upon prolonged wearing time. Indeed, without to be bound by any theory it is speculated that the delivery system, namely emollient-containing composition (preferably ester derivatives as described herein after—for example triethyl citrate), acts as a carrier for the cooling agent as described herein, to help it migrate from its location in the article to the body surface of the wearer (skin and/or mucosal surface), penetrate the outer layers of the skin (stratum corneum) and bring it into direct and prolonged contact with the thermo receptors of mammal skin and/or mucosal surface. Actually, the delivery system, namely emollient-containing composition, like ester derivatives described herein after, helps the cooling agents to reach their target, namely thermo-receptors, in faster condition, thereby delivering a more immediate freshness sensation and maintain it in prolonged contact with the thermo receptors, thereby promoting long lasting freshness sensation as compared to the same article comprising the cooling agents at same level but neat. In other words, the presence of the delivery system, namely emollient-containing composition like ester derivatives described herein after, allows a controlled diffusion of the cooling agent, thereby resulting in a sustained freshness sensation even upon prolonged wearing time, typically up to a few hours, corresponding to usual wearing time of such articles. Furthermore, the presence of emollient moisturizes/hydrates and softens the skin and tends to reduce roughness, cracking and skin irritation.
Additionally the presence of such delivery system, namely the emollient-containing composition as described herein after, helps solubilisation of the cooling agent, thereby facilitating homogeneously application (if desired) of the cooling agent over at least a portion of the article. In a preferred embodiment herein the cooling agent is applied on the wearing facing surface of the article in a homogeneous way thereby further contributing to faster and sustained freshness sensation during prolonged wearing time of the article.
Yet a further advantage of the presence of such delivery system, namely the emollient-containing composition as described herein after, is its contribution to physical and chemical stability of the cooling agent during storage and use of the articles herein.
In a preferred embodiment herein the article according to the present invention is breathable, i.e., liquid vapor permeable and preferably air permeable. Indeed the breathability of the article further contributes to the freshness and dryness sensation, and especially to long lasting freshness and dryness sensation. Without to be bound by theory, it is speculated that the use of breathable article is able to maintain a more comfortable skin surface temperature over the skin surface which it covers, that is closer to the temperature of the skin surface when the consumer is not wearing such an article in contrast to non breathable article. This will provide a more ideal or ‘normal’ temperature perception in the genital region and hence contributes to the freshness sensation provided by the presence of the cooling agent in the article of the present invention. Also the breathability of the article reduces humidity at the article/skin interface and hence increases the dryness sensation. This increase in freshness and dryness sensation to the wearer results in outstanding cleanliness perception.
By using breathable articles, preferably breathable hygienic disposable articles, not only improved comfort (i.e., improved freshness and dryness sensation) to the wearer during use is provided but also reduction of malodour perception. It is believed that the breathable environment does not only contribute to the primary comfort benefit (freshness and dryness sensation) but also provides effective reduction or even prevention of malodor formation typically associated with body discharge onto the article worn into contact with human body. Indeed the breathability of the article, which reduces the hot, humid and anaerobic environment between the skin of the wearer and the surface of the article, contributes in an overall reduction of growth of microorganisms, known as being responsible of malodor formation. Furthermore, the reduction in the hot, humid and occlusive environment between the vicinity of the skin of the wearer and the article itself also reduces the tendency of the wearer to perspire. Consequently, the amount of associated perspiration related odour is reduced too.
In an embodiment herein the articles according to the present invention might comprise on top of the cooling agents any odor control agent (e.g., zeolite, silicate, silica, chelating agents, oxidizing agents, antimicrobial agents and the like). Such articles are particularly beneficial for further improving comfort and discretion in use.
The present invention is preferably directed to hygienic disposable articles like bandages, thermal pads, acne pads, cold pads, wrist cooler, compresses, surgical pads/wound dressings, protective bedding covers, protective clothing, gloves, socks, pillow covers, protective face masks, ornamental/fashionable articles or eye wear, prosthesis, plasters, wraps, hearing aids and the like, hygienic articles for absorbing perspiration such as perspiration pads, underarm sweat pads, shoe insoles, shirt inserts, sporting clothes, cap inside liner and the like, and hygienic articles for animals like litters as well as hygienic disposable absorbent articles for use by babies and adults like panty liners, feminine napkins, incontinent pads, diapers, tampons, interlabial pads, breast pads, human waste management devices and the like.